New Bike

Eau Gallie, FL
28 08.02 N 080 37.46 W

We're here in Eau Gallie for the SSCA gam. Don't know what that is? SSCA is the Seven Seas Crusing Association. A gam is: An exchange of visits at sea by the crews of two or more whaleships. The Gamming Chair at left was used to transport individuals from one ship to another.

While here, our very good friends Dave and Jonnie invited us to dinner and also lent us a car to run local errands. Great. This morning Libby went to do laundry while I shopped for a new bicycle.

When we started cruising, Jenny, John and David chipped in to buy us a nice folding bicycle for use on the boat. Unfortunately, it only lasted 3 or 4 years, before rusting away to an unusable state. You see, we have no place to store a bike other than up on deck where it gets salt water spray all the time. It is tied on the foredeck right now. I'll use it in Vero and Marathon in coming months.

For the past 1-2 years, we had no bike at all. It was missed. A bike is great way to extend our range beyond walking distance. We really should have two bikes, but Libby can't ride one. It makes her back hurt.

Since new folding bikes are expensive ($300-$450) and since they don't last anyhow, I bought this new bike at Walmart for $79. If it lasts only one year, it's still much cheaper. If it lasts two or three years, I'm way ahead of the game. I chose the retro model with balloon tires, single speed, coaster brakes and a kick stand. I also bought a 1 year replacement contract from Walmart for $6. If it rusts that fast, I can get a replacement.

Dick's Law

The Indian River

28 18.85 N 08 41.94 W

This morning we slept until 0700. That's nearly an hour after pre-dawn. How decadent. For the past two months, the routine has been to weigh anchor at first light.

Speaking of decadent and lazy, when I'm uninspired about writing something for the blog, I post some pictures. Here goes.

When I'm feeling secure and lazy, this is one of my favorite tricks. I rig some lines and some blocks that let me steer from up in the bow. It's perfect for places like the Dismal Swamp Canal. In the pictures below, you can see how I rig it in the cockpit. A couple of snatch blocks form a pivot corner leading reins from the tiller up to the bow. Below, you see David steering from the forward position.

The actual steering job is very much like riding horseback and steering with reins.

I take a VHF radio up to the bow with me. However, I can't reach the trottle from there, so I can't deny that the practice compromises safety. That's why I only do it in places like the Dismal Swamp Canal.

I discovered this trick years ago while sailing my Tanzer 27 on Sacandaga Lake in New York. I did a lot of single handed sailing back then. I was also completely familiar with the lake and needed no charts.

One day I rigged up the boat to steer with reins. Then I hung a hammock between the mast and the forestay. I laid myself out in the hammock with the reins in my lap. The boat was close hauled. Like that I sailed across the whole lake. I loved it. My control of the boat was exquisite and my visibility was great. I could even heel it way over, let the hammock swing out, and (almost) dunk my butt in the water. I especially enjoyed the puzzled looks from other boats as they saw my strange rig passing. Tee hee.

On other occasions, I would sleep on the boat Saturday nights, then return home Sunday mornings. Usually, Libby didn't come. It would be just me and my dog Pup. Pup was afraid of the boat. He stayed in the cabin and the cockpit the whole time, and never ever ventured up on deck.

One Sunday morning I was steering from the bow with my reins rig as discussed. I was all the way forward with one leg draped over each side; much like riding a horse. I heard a shout, "DICK." I looked over and saw three of my firemen buddies in another boat. I veered over close to them to say hello. To veer, I only had to twist my hands that sat in my lap, so my actions were hardly visible. The next week at the firehouse, one of those friends said, "I just want to know one thing. How the heck did you train that dog to steer your boat?" Tee hee tee hee.

Several years later, I happened to see a list of boating laws for New York State. It specifically listed steering a boat from the bow as an illegal practice. I wonder if I inspired that law. If so, it should be called, "Dick's Law."

Arrived

Titusville, Florida

28 35.41 N 080 47.35 W

By noon on Monday we arrived in the Indian River.   That's sort of an emotional milestone for us.  It marks the end of our southward migration for this season.

That doesn't mean we'll stay put.  We'll head for the keys and Marathon, perhaps the Gulf Coat, Bahamas, and who knows where else.   Nevertheless, the Indian River is sort of a hub.   It is a place where we can dawdle.  We have friends and family nearby.   We can easily anchor and feel secure against almost any weather.  We can easily find stores to resupply.   We can easily go ashore and explore.

The Indian River is about 140 miles long.  In that respect it is analogous to Lake Champlain.  Our arrival at the south end of Champlain is a milestone, as is our arrival here on the Indian River.

Flordia's weather also contributed to our emotional high.   Ever since crossing the Georgia Florida border, we've been hit with cold, blustery and unpleasant weather.   Monday was much nicer.  Gentle breezes, sunny and warmer.   The rest of this week will be like that too, reaching 77F (C) by Friday.   

Friday, Saturday, Sunday we'll be at the SSCA gam in Eau Gallie.   The SSCA is the association of cruisers, and a gam is one of their conference-meetings.   They have seminars and events that we think are fun.  This will be our third time visiting the Melbourne gam.

Every year we go through the same emotional ups and downs connected with our migration.   We hate to leave our summer/winter home.  We experience a little trepidation about the long journey.   We shift life styles.   While migrating we haul the anchor every morning and move along.   We like the migration very much.   In fact, it's like have two life styles, and four times every year we shift from one style to the other.   All things considered, I think it is a very healthy way to live.  

On the other hand, it would not be unfair to say that every year we become more like migratory birds or animals.

p.s. We had dinner last night on board Argonauta with our friends Greg and Michelle. It was just a nice coincidence that we ran into them.   Greg is from Vermont and he was the former head of the Burlington hort (horticultural) farm where Jenny does volunteer work.

Georgia's Veneer

Flagler Beach,Florida
29 29.49 N 081 08.48 W

I've written several times about the veneer effect. That is how we boaters get to see so much of nature's beauty and so little of man's ugliness hidden behind a thin layer of trees.

The veneer layer in the salt marshes is considerably thicker. We see salt marshes starring north of Charleston, SC and continuing down to Saint Augustine Florida. (From Vero Beach south, we see mangrove swamps, not salt marshes.)

The ICW in Georgia takes us through some of the biggest and most beautiful salt marshes. True, we dislike that part of the ICW because of the meandering, the big tides, and the scary shoal waters. Nevertheless, there is no denying the charm and the beauty of the sights. It's pretty much true that nobody other than boaters ever gets to see this beauty.

Below is an image from Google Earth showing a stretch of the ICW. Click on it to see the large version. By noting where there are and are not roads and plowed fields, you can readily see on this picture how thick the veneer is in that region. You can also see why we need to meander so much in this region.

Click for full size

Birds of A Feather

Sisters Creek
30 26.23 N 081 27.33 W

See any brown pelicans in that flock? Nope; only white ones. Actually, we were surprised to see them this morning. White pelicans aren't so common around here. They must be migrating. A bit later we saw another flock that did have some brown pelicans as well as white ones. Does that disprove the old saying? Maybe a little, however in that mixed flock there were clumps of whites and browns, no individuals caught mixing.

We have a newsy morning that casts light on the cruising life.

1. We couldn't leave the dock at Fernandina Harbor Marina yesterday. The west wind blew from the side adding to the 2.3 knots of tidal current. We could not turn Tarwathie around in the limited corridor without running into another boat. We paid for another day. But there was a slilver lining in that cloud. Last night, our friends Charlie and Mary, from Fernandina, invited us out to dinner. They are selling their sailboat, so we invited them to come sail with us sometime.
   
   
2. This morning we planed to sail south with the W32 Calypso with Jeff and Wendy on board. They dawdled at breakfast so we got a few minutes ahead of them. We passed through a railroad bridge. (RR bridges stand open all the time unless a train is coming.) After we passed the bridge closed and got stuck. Calypso was trapped behind the bridge. Oh well, time for them to forget the late breakfast and start an early brunch while waiting for the bridge mechanic.
   
   
3. The Coast Guard on VHF said that there was a sailboat in distress offshore near Daytona. (That's where we wished we were today.) Anyhow, they said that the sailboat had blown out sails, a failed engine, and an injured person on board. Geez. That sounds like the start of a very bad day for those poor cruisers.

By tonight we hope to be past Saint Augustine. We're giving up our hopes of sailing outside on this passage. I guess we'll do the entire 900 miles on the inside this fall. Cest la vie.